A Picture Is Worth A Thousand Words
by Jasmine James
Summary: Ghosts just can't be real. But when Pony starts seeing the Johnny in the window of the Cade's old house he's sure they are! Though when New people move in things only get worse. Full Summary inside.
1. Chapter 1

**Summary: It is finally over and it seems everyone is able to move on... That is until Johnny's old house becomes occupied once more. Protective older sister, Maggie, moves in to take care of newly 18 little sister, May. Once they can get past all the ghost stories, annoying neighbors, and Greasers with grudges everything should be fine. Oh, one more thing to add to the mix. May? Blind.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own The Outsiders. (Poor me.) This story is in no way looking for a profit.**

**Special thanks to Hollster09 for being my beta. Also to Chase01 for being her amazing self.**

**-Jasmine**

**A Picture Is Worth A Thousand Words**

"Finally, after it had been three years since the death of Johhny Cade and Dallas Winston, our favorite gang of greasers were finally back on track . Ponyboy was doing really well, given what had happened. He was finally in his last year of school and was already accepted to the state collage with a large scholarship because of his writing. A year after...the accident... Pony had gotten a job at the local food market as a bag boy. It wasn't much but it helped with money and Darry was able to spend more time with the gang. Steve and Two-Bit were pretty much living with the Curtis', after the whole ordeal they were all a lot closer. The bad blood between Steve and Pony was actually gone. Where there was only five of them left there wasn't any room for fighting. Sure, they weren't buddy buddy but they were no longer jumping down each other's throats – which the gang thought was always a plus. They were going to stay a family as long as they could. Pony was leaving in just a year and they were going to miss him, but they were extremely proud. You should have seen Sodapop. He was bragging to anyone who would listen. (Even Though after a few days that was only a handful of people.)

The only thing that would really put the gang down was when they saw Johnny's old house. After Johnny had died his parents just left. Didn't even show up at the funeral and be bothered to pretend to care. The just left. Left the town, left the state, maybe even left the country! (Although that was highly unlikely.) Though things were getting better. Before, when anyone would see it they would just freeze. Now... well... For the most part they ignored it. They only person who really still got spooked was Pony. He was always going on about how one time he saw Johnny in the window. Though they all just try not to think about that.

Now that all of you know our setting and context I believe it is fair to warn you. If you are looking for a wonderful love story. Please, turn back. I find it only fair to let you know this this is not a happy tale. Your choice. Turn back, act like you've never heard this take and continue a peaceful, unknowing existence. Or... You may keep reading and be exposed to the story I have to tell. Just know, I did warn you.

…

Out story starts just like many others on a perfectly normal day. The gang had all gotten together that morning at the Curtis', much like every morning, for breakfast. Darry, Soda, and Steve all left for their full time jobs. (Steve had already graduated, you know... What? Did you really think he was going to be in school forever? Please! A 20 year old man does not go to school.) It was only Two-Bit and Pony left, both getting ready for school. They were both in the same grade now and both ready to graduate. Believe it or not, Two-Bit was almost getting all B's – only one D. He had decided that at 22 was he ready to be done with school. (I never said anything about a 22 year old man going to school!) About time too! Though at least Pony was able to have a member of the gang with him during his final days at Will Rodgers.

The day was just like any other day for all of them. Darry worked on a roof, luckily managing not to fall of. He had finally quit his job at the mill after Pony got a job too, and was now just working as a roofer. He was quite good at it too. Soda managed to get some work done also. Though it was a bit hard because he was being pretty much attacked by girls wishing to date the newly single Soda. The years had been very kind to a Mr. Sodapop Curtis. Steve fixed a few cars and somehow coated himself in grease. Though he also joked with his best buddy. Pony was praised by is teachers and studied all day like the nerd he loves to be. As for Two-Bit, he was given a detention for calling his teacher a, "cock-sucking monkey face." (His words! Not mine!) Yes, another totally normal day for the gang. Though I did not tell you about this day just to praise its normality. Actually, this day lost its normality during the walk home for Two-Bit and Pony. After Two-Bit's detention, they had walked back together. Pony didn't really mind, he just sat in the library and did his homework, while he waited for Two-Bit. Anyhow, back to the significance of the walk home. Why was it so important? Simple. This is because while passing Johnny's house, much like they do on every completely NORMAL day, there was a moving van out front with big, strong, men carrying boxes into the house. Now, hopefully you don't need me to tell you how utterly significant this is, because before Two-Bit could even say anything to the horrified Ponyboy, said child was running down the street; leaving behind him, the movers, the house, Two-Bit, and horrible, ominous feeling.


	2. Chapter 2

**A Picture Is Worth A Thousand Words**

**Chapter Two – The Accident**

Maggie Nightly was the classic older sister. She watched over everything her little sister by nine years did. She wasn't always like that but she learned she had to be when May got into the accident at the age of eleven. What might this accident be? Well, it was just a car crash. She had been on the corrupted side of the car when the not at all welcomed crash occurred. The thing that really made Maggie so protective was that she always thought the crash was her fault. She was sitting in the passenger seat and wanted to talk to May without turning all the way around. She made May moved that she was behind their mum so they could talk. If only she had let her stay where she always sat... That side of the car was fine...

"_Maggie...!" Eleven year old May whiled, "Why do I have to sit over here?" Sixteen year old Maggie groaned._

"_It's safer. Do you remember my friend, Jane?" Maggie asked her. May frowned but nodded all the same, pushing a strand of her blonde hair behind her ears, her china-blue eyes narrowing in annoyance._

"_Well, her mother told us yesterday that if you turn around while in the front seat of a car it can be really unsafe if you ever get in a car crash." May smiled knowingly at her older sister. She was smarter than the normal eleven year old, not academically though. May didn't really excel in school, she was actually one of the worst in her class. What she was really good at was reading people. May knew that Maggie loved to learn. She was always with her head in a book and sharing all she knew with her family. Mostly May though, she was always trying to help her study. Maggie was the biggest nerd May knew but she loved her with all her heart. Maggie kept all her notes she ever took in a binder, one for each grade. She let May use them all the time and even when she lost the one for fourth grade she forgave her. May could only hope that she would be as nice as her older sister. Since Maggie thought it was the best thing to do May moved just for her._

_ Though because she moved to that side, she got it just as as their mum when the 18-wheeler hit them._

"_Maggie!" __May screamed and tried to cover her face with her hands. A large shard of glass flew into her eyes, and she clung to Maggie's hand desperately as the car spun around._ _ The last image in her mind before it fuzzed over in red was her older sister's terrified face._

The thing that always made Maggie wonder though was that May never blamed her for anything. It was so clear though that it was Maggie's fault. (Or at least it is in Maggie's mind. Looking at the big picture there was no way for her to know what was going to happen.)

Anyway... Maggie and May were brought up a reason, not just for you all to feel bad for them and what has happened to their family. Mother in a wheelchair, Father gone off at war, and youngest daughter blinded in a car crash. The real reason they were brought up was that _they_ were the family that moved into the Case family's old house. Living there was only Maggie and May and neither of them really wanted to be there. The only reason they were living there was that their mother was put in the local old folk's home there. Before, they were living in a small town where everyone knew everyone and that was fine with them.

Maggie lead May around the house, letting her know where all the walls and doors where. Something May loved was being able to walk around on her own. She would know where everything was well enough at their old house, and as long as no one moved anything without letting her know, it was had to tell that she couldn't see. Though sometimes it would happen. Once her little cousin came over for dinner and moved on of the chairs. He forgot to let May know and she tried to sit where it was. Long story short, May got a large bruise and Tyler doesn't come around much more.

"I'm going to go out to the store May, do you want to come?" Maggie asked her sister. She shrugged.

"Sure."

…

When they got to the store, they walked around for a short while; only needing something to make for dinner that night.

"What do you want to eat?" The older asked, hold her hand and tussling her hair. May groaned and did her best to straiten it out though laughed all the same.

"How about pasta?" May suggested. Maggie rolled her eyes.

"I'm rolling my eyes you know." She told her. May laughed.

"Why ever so?"

"Oh, you know why! You ask for pasta every night!" Maggie explained, though she knew that she had told May no for the past week and grabbed some anyways. She lead the blond over to the check out. When they got over May turned to Maggie.

"Did you get any lollipops?" She asked. Maggie rolled her eyes again. She had been hoping that May would forget. Her little sister loved lollipops. Cherry to be exact. She had one after dinner every night. Maggie was trying to break the habit but it was a bit hard with the fact that she was a big softy for only her little sister.

"Fine May, but just know that I'm rolling my eyes." May laughed as she heard Maggie throw a bag into the cart.

"Noted. You seem to be doing that a lot." Maggie tussled her hair again.

"I wouldn't if you'd stop be so silly." May groaned and fixed her hair again as Maggie talked to the bagger.

"Thank you so much." She told them.

"It's not a problem." He told her. Or well, it sounded like a he to May.

"Here, maybe you can get some new shoes..." The bag boy blushed and he looked at the large hole in his shoe, "...Ponyboy?" She added in a confused voice at the end.

"Yeah, different names seem to run my family, I have a brother named Sodapop." May laughed at this.

"That's a silly name." She told him. There was a pause in conversation. When Maggie turned to May and told her,

"He rolled his eyes, smiled, and shrugged." May laughed.

"I figured." The very confused bag boy wasn't sure what to do, her looked closer at the blonde girl, he saw as she just looked ahead with unseeing light blue eyes. He looked down, feeling a bit bad that she hadn't noticed until then. He quickly handed the older lady her bags and thanked them for coming.

Back at the other end of our story we have the Curtis'. Right now while May and Maggie were at their house eating pasta and arguing about the nutritional value of cherry lollipops; Ponyboy was having a hushed argument with his older brother.

"I'm not kidding, Johnny isn't going to be happy about this!" He tried to explain.

"Pony..." His brother reasoned, "Johnny died three years ago..." Pony gave a frustrated sigh tried again to have his brother see what he was trying to get across.

"I know that, Johnny's body is in a coffin, but his spirit is in that house!"

"Pony... That's ridiculous." Pony groaned and stood up from the couch he was sitting on, talking louder than before, letting the rest of the present gang hear what he had to say.

"It is NOT ridiculous! It's true! I've seen him in that window!" Soda looked down at his hands. He knew that everyone was thinking the same thing: that Pony was crazy. Maybe they were right, because boy did it seem that way.

"Pony." Two-Bit reasoned, "That house is not haunted."

"Yes it is!"

"Pony, it's not." Soda told him, "There is no such thing as ghosts."

"Yes there IS!" Pony yelled. Soda sighed, decided to leave it alone. He had learned over time that Pony could get very defensive about Johnny's "ghost". He just decided to leave it and hopefully Pony would to.

"Come on, little colt, let's just go to bed." Soda told him. Pony sighed and agreed, though started planning. We need proof, though how to get it...?


	3. Chapter 3

**Sorry for the wait... Though I haven't been getting that many reviews... Now I'm not going to be mean and dangle a chapter in front of your face while demanding reviews. Though... A few more would be nice... Don't be lazy! Your fingers need the exercise.**

**-Jasmine**

"BOO!" Maggie screamed, jumping out from behind a corner and grabbing onto May's shoulders. May just laughed.

"Didn't work!" She sang. They had a game they played all the time. Maggie would always try and sneak up on her little sister but May always knew when she was coming. Maggie never understood it but never stopped trying.

"Fine," She grumbled, handing May a cherry lollipop, "What do you want to do today?" she asked.

"Can we go for a walk?" Maggie sighed. She loved her sister but sometimes she drove her up the wall. A walk would be great but Maggie was always worried that something bad might happen and she would hurt her sister even more. May seemed to notice the tension and grabbed her sister's shoulder. (Well, she TRIED she ended up grabbing her elbow but it's the thought that counts!)

"Please?"She asked, sticking out her bottom lip and tilting her head to the side, thus creating the dreading puppy dog face. (Run, run from the face! RUN!) Maggie felt her resistance melt and gave into her siblings wishes.

…

"Darry!" Soda called sticking a hand under the couch, "Have you seen my shoe?" Darry groaned at this. There would be no reasonable placing for this simple article of clothing. It would be far to easy to have it be in his closet or by the door. One time it was even found in the icebox. When asked his motives to putting his shoes in there a young Sodapop Curtis only told his parents that it was too keep his feet cool the next time he wore them.

"Did you look in the ice box?" Darry asked back. Soda sighed.

"That was ONE time!" Finally, though after much searching and dust covered fingers, he found 14 pennies, 3 dimes, 2 quarters, and his lost shoe under the couch.

The reason for all of this insane shoe finding was that Sodapop was planning on going out to the lot with his best buddy, Steve, to throw a football.

"Hey, Pony, do you want to come?" Soda asked. Steve groaned in a quite impolite, but not so out of character, manner. In truth Ponyboy didn't really want to, but he was going to just to annoy Steve. He normally wasn't one to push Steve's buttons but he earned a good button pushing. Earlier that day Mr. Randle had been complaining in not so whisper like whispers to Two-Bit about how Pony was going crazy. Therefor the annoyed teen smiled smugly and looked right at the fuming Steve.

"I would love to." He told his brother and hurried out the door with Sodapop, leaving a grumbling Steve to bring up the rear while mumbling things that sounded a lot like

"Damn kid," and, "Stupid follower."

When the group got to the lot there wasn't anyone else there, the only people in sight were a pair walking down the street a while from where they were so they paid no mind. The group wasn't very friendly. Sodapop was stuck in the middle... again. (It didn't matter how much the bad blood was "gone" Steve still didn't like Ponyboy being such a "tag-a-long") Though all of this not so friendly play was stopped when Steve hit a poor girl in the head with a football. Now, I believe we all know that if you want someone to be your friend you do NOT hit them in the head with a football. So, naturally, Steve wasn't going to apologize and was just going to continue life, he could care less about the friendship of the poor girl in pain on the ground. Though, Steve in the end still went over to them just so he could get his football back. Sodapop on the other hand was very up to date on his manners and went over to get the ball back and to apologize for his best friend who he knew didn't care. Pony just followed only to prove Steve's earlier point further.

"Are you okay?" Soda asked going over to the girl who was laying on the ground, grabbing her head and pushing another, older, girl away who was trying to fuss over her.

"What was that?" she asked, picking the football up. She turned it over a few times in her hands then turned to the older girl.

"Is this a football?" She asked her. Sodapop wasn't sure what to make out of this question, so he simply ignored it for the time being, and went on to apologize on behalf of his - rather rude - best friend.

"I'm so sorry." He told her. May's head whipped around and she clutched her heart in fright.

"What?" Maggie shouted, outraged, "So HE can scare you without even trying and I can't after years and years?" May sighed and rubbed her head where a bump was already forming along with a large purple splotch.

"Well I was a bit distracted with the throbbing pain in my head to be listening for someone walking over." May grumbled. Maggie groaned.

"I'm rolling my eyes May." May laughed at this while our dearest Sodapop just stood there, totally baffled.

"Um... Sorry I scared you... are you okay?" He asked. May turned to him, almost forgetting him during her friendly banter with her sister.

"Yeah, I'll be fine. Just didn't really see it coming." She joked and waved a hand in front of her eyes. It was then that Soda understood. Her eyes had a distant, far away, look to them. Her china-blue eyes seemed to be clouded over... Unseeing... Sodapop rubbed the back of his head and looked down, words failing him. Just when he was starting to think this whole situation couldn't get any more awkward Ponyboy spoke up.

"I remember you two," He said, pointing at the couple, "You told me to buy new shoes." Maggie laughed at the memory and pointed at his shoes, still worn out and taped with many holes.

"And I see you still haven't." Pony laughed at this.

"I haven't really had the time, don't worry it's at the top of the to do list..." He joked. They laughed for a while before Steve ever so rudely broke in.

"What were you doing wandering around here?" He demanded, a little more than peeved that Pony was there and having the game stop only angering him further.

"I wanted to go for a walk," May told him, "We just moved in down the street." Pony, who had been looking at this shoes and agreeing with Maggie that he really did need a new pair, snapped his head up upon hearing this news.

"The Cade's old house?" He asked. Maggie gave him an unsure look.

"I don't know... It was abandoned when we moved in." Sodapop heard this and made a move to get Pony out of there. The last thing he needed was for him to start going on about the ghost and make the new girls think they were all crazy... Though Steve wasn't really helping him. He was just standing there, waiting for Pony to explode. He probably thought it would be funny, having everyone think Pony was crazy. Yeah, really funny that is.

"Well, we should be heading home..." He said and grabbed Pony's arm. Though Pony yanked out of his grip and moved towards the girls more, caring about nothing except Johnny's "ghost".

"Have you seen Johnny?" He asked. Soda slapped his head, knowing that things were about to get real bad real quick.

"Johnny?" Maggie asked in a weary voice.

"Yea, Johnny Cade. He used to live there, but her died..." He trailed off.

"Well... We really should get going, sorry about your head!" Soda said, trying to get everyone moving, but only being ignored.

"If hes dead, how would we see him?" Maggie asked.

"His ghost is still there, I've seen it in the window!" Pony was getting closer and closer, he was practically sitting on them as he hung on their every word.

"I told you Maggie." May said in a small voice. Pony's eyes, which had been focused intently on Maggie, whipped to May's cloudy unseeing orbs.

"What do you mean?" He asked.

"Well, just last night I kept telling Maggie that I heard someone upstairs. She didn't believe me though." Pony smiled. Finally, someone who thought Johnny was still there. He got an amazed and happy look on his face. Soda groaned, rolling his eyes, while Steve just tried not to laugh. He was about to say more when his darling brother interrupted him.

"BYE!" He screamed and grabbed Pony, dragging out there, not really caring if Steve or the football followed.


	4. Chapter 4

**Okay! This chapter is a little shorter than I would have liked but I think it's fine all the same! Thank you for EVERYONE who reviewed! I made me smile... Don't you just love making me smile? Read on, I know you want to.**

**-Jasmine**

"I'm worried about him, Dar, I really am," Sodapop told his brother while pacing in his room, "He's just getting worse!" Darry sighed, knowing his brother spoke the truth. After Pony's encounter with the new residents of the Cade house he brought up the ghost more and more. To make matters worse him and Steve were fighting again. For the most part the gang could turn their heads, it wasn't their battle. This lasted for about a month. This the bet came along.

Everyone knew it had to happen sometime, it had been building up for a while now. Though the fact that it was bound to happen didn't really make everyone feel warm and fuzzy about it. It's like when someone dies. Yes, it had to happen eventually but that doesn't make you welcome you with open arms, you're still mad as hell that your buddy was dead. That was exactly what Sodapop Curtis was. No, not dead, that would be a far to simple ending to this story. No, Sodapop Curtis was mad as hell.

Soda had _never _been able to put up with his little brother and his best buddy fighting but he figured they would grow out of it. Though it seemed that things were only getting worse with age. This bet was crazy. It was beyond crazy, it was INSANE! As much as Sodapop liked his best friend it was clear that he thought of this... It was something only someone as stupid as Steve could think up. He could understand if it was able to be kept within the gang, but now they were going out and bringing this to someone else's home! Sodapop, the the first time in his life, actually wanted to HURT Steve for coming up with something so... STUPID! What was this bet you ask? Why that is simple.

Get proof that there is or isn't a ghost by the end of the month. After it was over they would bring their proof to the rest of the gang and they would decide who was right. If Steve won, Pony would never go anywhere with him and Soda EVER again. If Pony won, then Steve can NEVER complain about him being around again.

Rules? Only one.

Don't get caught.

…

Ponyboy Curtis had been sitting in front of the Cade, or the _Nightly_, house all night. What was he doing? Documenting the patterns of the people inside. Sadly, Ponyboy was starting to discover that the Nightly girls didn't seem to have a very set pattern. It almost seemed that everything revolved around the youngest, May. It was clear that if Pony was to get in the house to investigate there was a good chance of him getting caught... So how could he get around that? One thing was for sure, Ponyboy could NOT let Steve win this bet. It was the most stupid bet known to man kind but it was the principle of the thing. Pony was not about to let Steve walk all over him like he had been for the past 15 years! Though Pony was starting to see how hard it would be for him to win...

Steve must have thought this one out... It was one thing to get proof that there was a ghost. Then you were looking for something. Though to get proof that there isn't a ghost... All you have to do is point out the flaws in the proof that there IS a ghost. If Pony was going to win he either had to lock Steve in a closet for the next month or so, or he had to get solid proof that Johnny's ghost was real. Now, as much as the young Greaser wanted to lock this nemesis in a closet for a long period of time, he couldn't. So, that left only one way to win. Get amazing proof. How to get that though... That would be the hard part. He needed to get in the house got to Johnny's old room or something. Talk to him... If he asked then he was sure Johnny's spirit would come out to help him. How could he get in there though? It was clear that he couldn't just walk in while they weren't home, because you were never sure how long their would be gone. Getting caught was not an option... This was going to be a lot harder than he thought.

…

Steve Randle couldn't be more pleased with himself. Sure, Soda was mad at him now but he would be on his knees thanking him by the end of the month. (As he should, Steve Randle is amazing and ALWAYS right, it's a shame it sometimes takes his friend a while to realize it.) There was no way Pony could win this bet. Sure, it was stupid, Steve would admit to that, but it also would convince the kid that there wasn't any ghost.

Steve had everything planned out. Before the bet he had watched the house and saw, just like Pony had, that the Nightly sisters did not have a very set routine. If Pony wanted to get in there for evidence he would most likely get caught. There was no WAY Steve could lose. He should get an award. He was just a giver. Not only was he curing the insufferable kid's connection to his dead friends "ghost" but he was also getting rid of him. Sure, he would still be around at the Curtis house but when he and Soda went out just the two of them he would never have to worry about the kid coming along too. There was no way Steve could lose. It's not like Johnny actually has a ghost! Everyone knows that ghosts aren't really. What Pony saw in the window was just is subconscious' longing for his friend to still be there. Nothing more. Steve was just so amazing and smart. Everything would work out and Steve would never have to worry about the damn kid ever again.

He really should get a medal for this.

**Okay, first time for me really going into Steve's mind. Please, let me know what you think about that!**

**-Jasmine**


	5. Chapter 5

**Hey all! I'm BACK! Glad to hear from me? Good. Well I would like you all to read this VERY IMPORTANT AUTHORS NOTE THAT IF YOU DON'T READ YOU WILL BE VERY SAD. Just wanted the get the message out there. Sorry I forgot last time, I drew a picture of May just for people to get a feel for what she looks like. It's on deviantart . com if you search Outsiders OC May you should find it, it's under the username JasmineJazzyJames (I know you never saw that one coming...) SO... just check it out if you have time! Okay, this is a long enough note, go read the story, I know you want to!**

**-Jasmine**

There are people in this world who are very sneaky. They are able to go in and out of places without anyone noticing or hearing. They're like ninja, they move with the shadows. They never get caught. Ponyboy Curtis? Not one of these people.

Just one night ago Pony realized that he had nothing to support his theory that there was a ghost. Absolutely nothing. At all. So what was he to do with only a week before the bet was over? Wing it. Screw not getting caught. He was going for it and if he got caught he wouldn't lose anything; he had no chance of winning at the moment. So he planning it out. While the Nightly sisters were eating dinner he would slip in the back door and go up to Johnny's room. Once he was there he would try some spirit talking things and see if Johnny could hear him. (Because we all know that REALLY let's people know that you are not crazy... not at all) The thing that Pony seemed to forget was that May had superhuman hearing... also, she didn't need superhuman hearing to hear him trying to be sneaky. He tripped over a plant. You see that? Even the plant was more sneaky than him! That's just sad. Ponyboy Curtis got up staged... by a PLANT. But we won't dwell on the failure of that right now. (Though it was a HUGE failure on his part.)

When the young May Nightly heard the loud crash she rushed over to see what had caused it. May had been a little on edge the last couple of weeks. She kept complaining to Maggie that she felt like someone was watching her. (And someone was, it was Ponyboy, but we'll just ignore that part...) She kept telling her she was hearing things from Johnny Cade's old room, the room that they didn't use. May hadn't ever stopping thinking of that boy she had met while on her walk. Once he brought up the idea of a ghost... she just couldn't get it out of her head. It seemed like such a logical thing... Such a smart answer. Johnny Cade's ghost was in the house. It was as simple as that, right?

When May ran into the room, she was confused as to why she ran in there, because there wasn't much she could do - she couldn't see what had happened. Though after a moment someone cleared their throat. It was low, it must be a man. Hopefully not a murderer, May thought for a brief moment. Though when the voice called out, "Um... Hello?" She realized that she was probably safe. She realized that it was the voice of the boy from the football accident. She would recognize that voice anywhere. It was constantly floating around in her mind, it was hard to forget.

"Ponyboy?" She asked, scared as to why he was there. The next moment Maggie ran in.

"Ponyboy?" She asked , echoing her sister, "What are you doing?" Pony realized there was no excuse for him being there so he decided to go with the truth. They must already think he's crazy, the worse they could do was get a restraining order or something... He wasn't THAT crazy though, was he?

"Well... I... I... just... I..." Pony struggled to say something that wouldn't make him sound TOTALLY crazy, but nothing was coming up.

"You know," May said, giving a little girl smile, "If you wanted to stay for dinner you could have used the front door." She told him with a giggle. Pony couldn't help but smile at the small girl. She was quite the character. She was 18 but... she still just acted like a little 5 year old. It was cute, but Pony know if he was around it too much it would annoy him to no end.

"Can he stay for dinner?" May asked her older sister. Maggie looked down at the little one with a smile of admiration.

"Oh, of course." She told her in a heartbeat. May turned to Pony, or where she thought Pony was; she was a couple feet off.

"Do you want to stay for dinner?" Pony just smiled.

"Yea... Yea, I would."

…

Ponyboy Curtis had no clue what happened... but he was happy about it. Some how he was standing in from of Johnny's bedroom door with May, her hair in pigtails and a cherry lollipop in her mouth.

"You really want to go in?" May asked him. He nodded, then realized she couldn't see him and said,

"Yes."

"Okay." She told him and opened the door. When Pony walked in, he could feel himself tear up. It stilled smelled like Johnny. His bed and his desk were gone but the few belongings he left were in a box in the corner, in hopes that the owner would claim them later. But he never would.

"Johnny?" Ponyboy called out. For a moment he wanted to slap himself. Yea, he didn't sound crazy at all...

"Johnny?" Pony asked again. Nothing happened. He tried and few times and walked around the room, talking to his old friend. May just listened from the doorway. She didn't dare walk in the room. It seemed like she was listening to some ceremony and if she did anything to interfere she would be damned in Hell. Pony sat in Johnny's old room for about 2 hours and nothing happened. When the clock chimed 10 he decided it had been enough. He had bothered the Nightly sisters enough and he would have to find other proof. Or maybe it was time to take a new approach and just lock Steve in a closet... It _would_ be easier...

"Goodbye Johnny. I miss you." He told the room before thanking May and walking out of the house. As he walked down the gravel road, he kicked a lonely stone along the way. How many times had he walked down this road with Johnny? Talking about books, and school, and something crazy that Two-Bit had done, and maybe even girls. Out of habit he looked up to Johnny's window, like he did every day when he passed it, in hopes of seeing Johnny. What he saw though stunned him.

For a moment he saw Johnny. There in the window, just like last time he was there, smiling at him in his worn blue jean jacket with his long shaggy black hair and his puppy like eyes. Though in a moment he was gone, just a trick of the eyes... Everyone would say so, they had been saying that ever since he saw him for the first time. Though there was something else there. In the fogged up window there was a message. Ponyboy would know that writing anywhere, it was Johnny's.

_Stay Gold_

Pony smiled as he felt his eyes water. So Johnny was still there! He had heard him! He smile grew so wide he feared that his cheeks would rip, but he didn't care. Johnny heard him and he had proof. Maggie could even tell people.

Ponyboy Curtis had just won the bet.


	6. Chapter 6

**Okay! I am really happy with the reviews I got for the last chapter! Keep them coming! He's another chapter and MAYBE if I get a lot of reviews I'll post another one on Wed. You know... probably. READ ON!**

**-Jasmine**

NOTE: NO TREES WERE HARMED IN THE WRITING ON THIS CHAPTER! REMEMBER THIS IS FICTION! TREE MURDER!

Steve Randle was in a rage. He was the angriest he had ever been. It's not like he didn't have a reason - life was simply an outrage! It was clear that everyone else had gone insane. They picked Pony instead of him. Pony. The crazy kid who believed in ghosts had actually won the bet. At just the thought, an angry bitterness grew within him. It was a crazy outrage and there was no other way to explain it. This was simply a stupid thing and Steve Randle was pissed. So Steve did what everyone does when they are angry. He made a dramatic exit and stormed off. So there was Steve Randle, storming down the street cursing everyone being in the world, with steam coming out of his ears. Once Steve had decided that he was far enough from the Curtis household, he turned to the nearest tree and started to punch it. Yes, quite intelligent. Though there was something that Steve didn't notice. The very tree that he had chosen to terrorize was in the yard of the infamous Cade, or now Nightly, home.

…

"Just GO, Maggie." May pushed her sister out the door. Maggie had gotten a job there in Tulsa and was seeming to have some separation issues. In truth, Maggie was, as always, worried about her sister. She wasn't sure what could happen if she left a 18 year old blind girl home alone. Though May told her over and over again that everything would be fine. Maggie didn't really believe it, but she left anyways, hoping that her little sister would be fine.

So there May sat, an hour later, on the front door steps listening to the wind and sucking on a cherry lollipop. May was lost in thought, much like another greaser... but we wont go into THAT just yet. May didn't hear it when a fuming boy walked past her and started to beat up a poor little tree that never did anything wrong. Though when an angry yell split through the still air, May's head shot to the nice and her mouth fell open. She almost dropped her cherry lollipop but, thankfully, she saved it in a total ninja grab for someone who was blind. (I mean, catching it in mid air... while BLIND? That takes skill.)

"Who's there?" She called out. Steve looked up from the tiny tree he was trying to kill. He, too, was unaware of another person in close proximity. Though Steve wondered, why would someone ask such a stupid question! Who's there? Wouldn't you want to ask, "What the hell are you doing, creep?" But, clearly not. Steve was annoyed with the foolish girl, her idiotic question was just pushing him further to tree murder. Though for some odd reason Steve Randle started to laugh. (Another sign that he was truly going crazy.) May then gasped, she knew that laugh. It was the laugh of the boy who was with Pony. He was the one who had hit her in the head with a football! May rubbered her head, the memory making it hurt once more.

"What's you're name?" May asked him. Steve groaned.

"Steve. Glad to meet you." He sneered in a horrible sarcastic voice. May sighed and listened closely as she heard him take a few steps towards her. She tensed and held on to the railing of the stairs. Steve laughed again at this; did she really think he was going to hurt her? He did a lot of bad things and hurt a lot of people but he would never go so low as to beat up a girl. Besides, his hands still hurt from attacking the poor cherry tree that was now seeming to wilt with the pain of being punched with the the fuel of pure rage.

"What are you doing here?" May asked when she heard him laugh again. She wished that he would stop, it was an odd laugh. It didn't sound like he was amused but, that he was mocking her. She didn't like to be mocked, she was mocked enough.

Steve suddenly felt resentment for the poor girl. She was like a child. She had a baby face and was short, couldn't be more than five foot three. Her hair was a white blond color, sickening reminding him of Dallas. (A bastard that deserved to die) She held it up in pigtails, pigtails! What was she, five? She looked it. They were high up on her head, looking like antlers, with red ribbon tied in and mixed with the horrendous hair she had. The cherry lollipop that showed from her mouth was the tipping point for Steve. He wanted to yank it from her mouth, see if she would cry like the baby she looked like. Instead of answering her question he spat out his own.

"How old are you?" May was taken aback by this question, though answered all the same.

"18." Steve wanted to slap this girl. She was legally an adult and she was living like a baby! She was only two years younger than him but it looked like 15. Steve groaned and turned around but May grabbed his thigh. (She meant to grab his wrist but what can you do?)

"What, kid?" Steve growled. May wasn't fazed.

"My name is May." She told him.

"Okay...?" He said, hoping that she would let go so he could go get in some trouble, but no such luck.

"Where are you going?" She asked. Steve was disgusted by the sickening sweetness and cuteness in her voice. Though he wanted to tell her, "None of your business." He couldn't and felt the need to tell her the truth.

"To look for a fight." May gasped.

"Fighting isn't right!" She told him. Steve laughed once more.

"You can't live without fighting, what do you think is going on in Nam right now?" He asked. Just as he hoped, his question silenced her. Though only for a moment.

"Steve?" She asked, tugging his pants once more.

"Yes?" He asked in annoyance.

"Would you like to come in for a drink? I think it would be far more productive than fighting." Steve was annoyed by her comment and for the first time in his life, actually wanted to harm a girl but from some strange reason he said,

"Sure."


	7. Chapter 7

**Read.**

**Smile.**

**Review.**

**The usual.**

**-Jasmine**

Sodapop Curtis wasn't sure what to make of what had just happened in his life. There just wasn't a simple way to say what had happened. Sodapop thought he knew his best friend. He was his best friend! But... this was just unfathomable. When Steve lost the bet he slapped Ponyboy and stormed out. Normally Soda would be mad about Steve hitting his little brother but he was so worried about Steve it was pushed back from his mind. Also, Pony still smiled after it happened, so he figured it wasn't that big of a deal. Sodapop was sure he went off to go get in a fight. Steve was just like that, he was a hot head! He couldn't just be calm about something like that! But... Sodapop was sure that when Steve would come into work the next day ready to kill someone... but this... this he would have never expected. Steve came into work the next day...

Smiling. (Yes, yes, you may all gasp in union! It's a wonder! STEVE RANDLE KNOWS HOW TO SMILE!)

Sodapop just didn't know what to do! Steve was happy! Why doesn't Darry just run down the street yelling, "I LOVE NINJA TOAST!" and Two-Bit better go and become a monk and Pony should just run off and punch a nun! THIS WAS ALL WRONG! Just wrong!

"What's going on, buddy?" Soda asked his friend once he found that he was able to look at the smiling Steve without his eye balls puking and then melting. (Which would make Sodapop Curtis just a bit unattractive. It's unbelievable but now I hear that girls don't dig guys that have melted eyes... crazy, I know.) Steve just smiled at him even more and told him,

"Nothing."

"Well, why are you so happy?" Sodapop prodded.

"I had a good night." he said, shrugging as if it was no big deal. Soda's eyes went wide.

"You get laid man? I thought you and Evie broke up." Steve laughed at this. It wasn't just ANY laugh, it was a HAPPY laugh. What was this? Happy laughing, smiling? Where was Steve Randle?

"No, man... just talked. It was fun." Sodapop raised an eyebrow at this.

"With who?" He inquired.

"May." Steve told him in a matter-o-fact voice.

May? Who the heck was May?"

"Who?" Soda asked him, shock clear in his expression.

"The girl from the football field, she lives in Johnny's old house." Steve explained.

"And you just talked?" Soda asked, still beyond confused. Steve nodded.

"She invited me in for drinks and we just talked. It was fun." Steve looked out and saw a car pull up. He waved and went over to go help them, leaving a very confused Sodapop Curtis.

What? Steve had fun, talking to a little girl? When he normally would be out beating some guy up? It was official.

Steve Randle had been abducted by aliens.

…

On the delightful morning where Tulsa Oklahoma was blessed with Steve Randle's smile, May Nightly did the weirdest thing. After breakfast she had a _grape_ lollipop. Yes. Not cherry, grape.

GRAPE!

What was going on in this world?

Well, all of this craziness was caused by a simple chat between May and Steve. It was just... odd. What had happened that night? Well, why don't we have a dramatic flashback?

_ Steve Randle followed May into the house, not really sure what was going on. She lead him into the kitchen and took out two glasses. She grabbed some chocolate milk and poured it, she then added neon bendy straws. What is she, five? Steve seemed to ask himself for the eighth time that night._

"_So, Steve," She said, sitting down on a stool and motioning for him to do so as well and he did, "How old are you?" Steve was taken aback by the question._

"_20." He told her. She nodded._

"_I hope you don't mind me asking, but it's really been on my mind...Usually when I talk to people I can get a picture in my mind of what they look like, even if it's wrong. Though, you... you keep changing on me. At first I though you were a big, strong, bald guy, with a lot of scars. Though after I heard you're laugh I though we were slimmer with crazy blonde hair. I just... I don't know what to think. What do you look like?" She asked. Steve laughed. Bald? With a lot of scars? Not even close._

"_Well, I'm not bald." Steve grumbled. May giggled at that._

"_Wait, don't tell me, just act natural. I WILL figure would what you look like!" Steve smiled and found himself laughing, all thoughts of the annoying Ponyboy were gone. May reached into a glass bowl on the counter and grabbed a cherry lollipop._

"_Don't you get sick of those?" Steve asked suddenly and May stopped to scrunch her eyebrows together. Even though Steve knew she couldn't see him, he felt like she was giving him a questioning look._

"_Why would I? Cherry is my favorite!" May laughed. Steve looked at the bowl in silence._

"_You should put more than one flavor in there. Then it would be a surprise, because you can't see which flavor you picked. But... only two options." Steve had no idea why he had said it, it wasn't something he said._

"_Like what?" May asked. Steve shrugged, but then realized she couldn't see him and suggested,_

"_I don't know... grape?" May smiled._

"_OKAY! Grape!" She laughed and pulled Steve up and out the door._

"_Where are we going?" He asked her as he was pulled out the door._

"_The store to get grape lollipops. But you have to lead the way, I don't know where it is." ____May explained, dropping her hand down into his__. Steve smiled, her ha__nd was warm.. They both left to get some grape lollipops and maybe some bendy straws..._

May smiled at the memory. It had been a good night, and now every time she thought of grape lollipops all she could think of was Steve. He was great company and a great friend. He even told her to come and visit him anytime at the DX where he worked. Maggie was busy rushing around the house getting ready for work but stopped suddenly when May spoke to her.

"Maggie, will you drop me off at the DX on your way to the shop? I want to meet up with a friend. Don't worry, I wont leave there. If I do, I'll get someone to show me home." Maggie bit her nails.

"I don't know..." She told her little sister. May pouted and battered her eyes.

"Pweeese?" She asked. Maggie broke, not being able to resist her little sister.

"Okay, fine." May smiled and took another lollipop.

It was grape.


	8. Chapter 8

**Back! It's been a while hasn't it? I was just working on my time-tavel story...**

**sorry!**

**Review! It will make me smile... and update faster... :)**

**-Jasmine**

Maggie didn't want to leave her sister. Like, really didn't want to leave her sister. Basically like a parent wouldn't want to leave their child. (Which is odd, because May is technically an adult and should, in theory, be able to take care of herself... but, NO, that would just be too easy...)Of course Maggie knew that May had to have a life SOMETIME.. she just couldn't help but to hope that sometime would come later. (Aw, her little 18-year-old-baby is growing up! How cute...) So, going against EVERYTHING that her mind was telling her, Maggie dropped her younger sister off at the DX on her way to work.

"Now, you be careful." She told her once more. May let out an exasperated sigh.

"Don't worry, Maggie, I will be", She told her older sister, in hopes that she might calm down.

"And don't talk to strangers." Maggie continued.

"If I don't talk to strangers, how am I supposed to make friends?" May muttered under her breath.

"What?" Maggie asked, snapping out of parental trance. May put on her usual, innocent, smile.

"Oh, nothing!" Maggie nodded and stopped the car so that May would get out.

"I'll see you later, Maggie!" May called, waving her hand and slamming the door closed. She almost didn't hear Maggie's final worried call of,

"Be safe!"

Then May stood there for a moment in silence, unmoving. It was then that she seemed to realize how stupid her plan was. She had never been to the DX! She didn't knew where anything was! Then there were cars. It _was_ a gas station. Oh, man... she was like a blind person stuck in traffic! Hell! She was a blind person stuck in traffic! (It was actually already a miracle that she hadn't yet been hit. It was busy day at the DX.) Thankfully, May was saved from trying to find her way around when a voice called out her.

"May!" May almost screamed when she realized just how closed to her the voice really was. (Contemplating how to get out of a situation alive does, usually, stop one from noticing when someone walks up behind you.) May clutched her heart in fright and spun around to the source of the voice.

"Glory..." May muttered, "Why are so good at scaring me?" Steve let out a deep chuckle.

"Sorry." He told her, and grabbed her small, soft hand with own large, rough ones.

"Come on, you're gonna get hit by a car standing out here. What were you thinkin'?" he asked. May blushed and brought her free hand up to twirl her white blond pigtail around her finger.

"I don't know..." She mumbled, "I guess I wasn't thinking." It was true. May had never really had friends other than family, she was thinking about was seeing Steve again. (She had a _great_ time with him that night.) Steve shook his head at her.

"Oh, May..." He sighed, "I'm shaking my head you know." May giggled.

"Yeah." May told, "I sort of figured." Steve looked down at her and smiled. He just couldn't help but smile around her. He looked at the pigtails perched high on her head. Sure, she looked and acted like a five-year-old girl, but she had such a bubbly personality. He couldn't help but want to be around her. She was like Soda that way. Maybe Steve had a talent for attracting annoyingly happy people.

…

"What's this?" May asked, as she waved the tool around. Steve wanted to slap himself at how stupid she looked. There she was, a full grown woman, in pigtails with red ribbons, a cherry lollipop sticking out of her mouth, and waving a hammer around.

"That's called a hammer, Darlin'." He told her in a horribly mocking, yet to May playful, voice. May laughed.

"I see." She told him. That had been a joke between the two of them.

"_And that's why you need to stop eating pasta." Steve told May as they walked down the isles of the store, "You see?" May tilted her head up to him.  
"No." She told him, the answer over clear. She was BLIND. Steve, clearly, didn't realized that she was answering it seriously and not just, "Yea, I get it." So, naturally, Steve went on to explain it again._

"_You see, now?" He asked, getting a little exasperated._

"_No." May told him again. He sighed._

"_Well, what don't you get?" He asked._

"_Oh," May said, "I get it, I got it the first time. I just can't see. I thought you knew that." She told him. He gave her a __nuggie. (Something people seem to be doing a lot now a days...)_

"_HEY!" She yelled in protest and she fixed her bangs, "That's mean." She told him in a baby voice, crossing her arms across her arms._

"_Well, so was making me say that whole thing... TWICE!" He told her and laughed at the pouting face she was giving him._

"Yea, yea..." Steve grumbled and continued to work on the car. It had been hours and the DX was FINALLY dead again.

"Hey Steve!" Someone called in and Steve, still under a car, yelled back.

"In here!" Not a moment later May heard someone land, rather loudly, right next to her. She let out a high pitched shriek.

"What the?" The voice yelled and turned to look at May.

"May?" He asked. May suddenly realized who it was.

"Sodapop!" She yelled. He smiled at her, glad she remembered him after the bad meeting they had. Soda pulled her into a hug amd she smiled, she was really starting to like ths Soda guy.

"So you're the amazing May that made Stevie here smile?" Soda asked. May smiled at him and her eyes got wide.  
"He's smiling?" She asked. Soda nodded.

"He's smiling RIGHT NOW." He told her and looked at Steve who was now frowning and glaring at him, "Or he was..." Soda corrected himself. May giggled that weird, I-may-look-18-but-there-is-a-high-possibility-that-I-am-really-5 giggle.

"Come on _Stevie_," she said, using the name that Soda had, "Smile!" Steve's frown twitched and he tried to continue with the same, annoyed, facial expression though May was smiling and Soda was smirking. May stuck out her lip and batter her unseeing eyes.

"Pwease?" She asked in a baby voice. Steve Randle tried to frown, he really did, but he couldn't help it. A huge smile splashed across his face.

"Okay..." He mumbled and went back to work. May smiled as well and went back to looking through the tool box. Soda just looked between the two of them.  
"I can't believe it..." He mumbled to himself while he walked back into the store, "This is just too weird..."


End file.
